Which to use
“laisse” is a noun and “laissent” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #555
- “laisse” frequency rank
- #3,934
- “laissent” frequency rank
- 4489
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | laisse | laissent |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Corde ou lanière dont on se sert pour mener un chien seul ou des chiens attachés ensemble. | Troisième personne du pluriel du présent de l’indicatif de laisser. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set laisse and laissent apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: laisse and laissent carry the same recorded pronunciation, \lɛs\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anoun, the other averb, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “laisse” sits inside “laissent”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4489, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
laisse is recorded at frequency rank #555, classified as anoun, pronounced \lɛs\. laissent is at rank #3,934, tagged as averb, pronounced \lɛs\.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 4489, this pair ranks #431,478 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of laisse vs laissent
Shared letters: aeils. Private to "laisse": -. Private to "laissent": nt.
"laisse" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCV · "laissent" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "laisse" and "laissent" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "laisse" or "laissent"?
Remembering laisse vs laissent
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “laisse”; for a verb, it's “laissent”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “laisse” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable